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This quick start guide is intended to supply first time Aspen Plus users with helpful tips and advice to
accelerate the learning curve associated with this product. It is desired to create a sense of community,
as users are encouraged to develop and submit their own tips and advice to be included in this quick
start guide to benefit people of varying disciplines and locations.
Table of Contents
AspenTech Customer Support .............................................................................................................3
Support Center........................................................................................................................3
Aspen Plus Help.......................................................................................................................4
General ..............................................................................................................................................5
Starting Aspen Plus V8.0 in Windows ........................................................................................5
Starting Aspen Plus Selecting a Template..............................................................................5
Go to Setup to enter title and select units .................................................................................6
Simulation and Properties Environments ..................................................................................6
Aspen Plus Shortcut Keys .........................................................................................................6
Completing Input Specifications ...............................................................................................7
How to automatically assign a block/stream name with a prefix .................................................8
How to change the unit of measure ..........................................................................................8
How to display stream results on the flowsheet ........................................................................9
How to change the name of a stream/block? .......................................................................... 10
Open the Control Panel prior to running a simulation .............................................................. 10
Saving Checkpoints................................................................................................................ 11
How to rotate and resize a block?........................................................................................... 11
How to arrange windows in Aspen Plus................................................................................... 11
How to select a unit operation ............................................................................................... 12
How to select the stream type................................................................................................ 12
How to specify a pressure drop .............................................................................................. 13
How to use the ‘Next’ button ................................................................................................. 13
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Tips and FAQ Revised: Nov 13, 2012
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Tips and FAQ Revised: Nov 13, 2012
Support Center
Visit the AspenTech Customer Support center at http://support.aspentech.com for technical
support, self-help knowledgebase, software patches, upgrades and customer care services
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Tips and FAQ Revised: Nov 13, 2012
In Aspen Plus Help you can find what you need help with by navigating through the Contents,
the Index, or you can use the Search function. Aspen Help contains a broad range of inform ation,
from very basic getting started information, to in depth details about convergence method s.
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Tips and FAQ Revised: Nov 13, 2012
General
Tip: To open an existing file quickly, just double-click the file from Windows Explorer.
Petroleum Template: The Petroleum Template defines defaults commonly used in the petroleum
industry. It is also appropriate for petrochemical applications such as ethylene plants, which involve
petroleum fractions as feedstocks.
Gas Processing: The Gas Processing Template defines defaults commonly used in the gas processing
industry. For example, stream flows are standard vapor volume flows in millions of standard cubic
feet per day or millions of standard cubic meters per hour.
Air Separation: Use the Air Separation Template for cryogenic air separation simulations.
Chemicals: The Chemicals Template is suitable for a wide range of chemical (non-electrolyte)
applications. It is also appropriate for petrochemical applications, such as MTBE production and
VCM plants, where feedstocks are defined in terms of chemical components.
Electrolytes: The Electrolytes Template is used for applications that require rigorous modeling of
electrolyte species. You can use this template in any application where electrolytes are important.
Specialty Chemicals: The Specialty Chemicals Template is for specialty chemical applications, with or
without electrolytes.
Pharmaceuticals: The Pharmaceuticals Template uses NRTL as the default base property method.
You can use this method for two-liquid-phase systems, or vapor and liquid systems at low pressure.
Hydrometallurgy Template: Use the Hydrometallurgy Template to model electrolytes and solids in
hydrometallurgical processes.
Pyrometallurgy: Use the Pyrometallurgy Template to model high temperature metals processing
applications.
Solids: Aspen Plus can model solids anywhere in a process flowsheet. A wide range of unit operation
models for solids handling equipment is available including crystallizers, crushers, screens, and
cyclones.
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Tips and FAQ Revised: Nov 13, 2012
In this form you can enter a project title as well as choose which global unit set you would like to use.
Within the Properties environment you can select components and methods, define chemistry, create
property sets, perform physical property analyses, and retrieve experimental data sets. Within the
Simulation environment you can create a flowsheet and run a simulation using the components and
methods defined in the properties environment. You can use the Energy Analysis environment to
explore variations on your plant model to reduce energy costs. Aspen Energy Analyzer examines your
plant and suggests changes that can reduce your energy costs.
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Tips and FAQ Revised: Nov 13, 2012
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Tips and FAQ Revised: Nov 13, 2012
10. Specify Report Options (Specify options for generating the Aspen Plus report).
2. In the flowsheet display options check the boxes under ‘Stream and unit operation labels’
and enter the desired prefix
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Tips and FAQ Revised: Nov 13, 2012
2. Check boxes to display temperature, pressure, vapor fraction, heat/work, mole flow rate, mass
flow rate, and volume flowrate. When you run a simulation, the values for the selected results
will be displayed on the flowsheet, as shown below.
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Tips and FAQ Revised: Nov 13, 2012
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Tips and FAQ Revised: Nov 13, 2012
Saving Checkpoints
Save ‘Checkpoints’ as you go. Once you have a working section of the flowsheet, save the file as
a .bkp with a new file name so you can revert to an earlier checkpoint and a known state.
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Tips and FAQ Revised: Nov 13, 2012
1. Click the tab that corresponds to the type of model you want to place in the flowsheet.
2. Click the unit operation model on the sheet.
3. To select a different icon for a model, click the down arrow next to the model icon to see
alternate icons. The icon you select will appear for that model in the Model Palette.
4. When you have selected a model, click the flowsheet where you want to place the model.
When you place blocks this way, you are in Insert mode. Each time you click in the Process
Flowsheet window, you place a block of the model type that you specified. To exit insert
mode and return to select mode, click the Cancel Insert Mode button on the upper left of
the Model Palette or right click on the main flowsheet.
Tip: You can also place blocks in your flowsheet by dragging and dropping from the Model
Palette to the main flowsheet window.
1. Click the down arrow next to the stream type displayed in the Model Palette.
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Tips and FAQ Revised: Nov 13, 2012
2. Select the stream type you want to place in the flowsheet (Material, Heat, Work)
3. Once a stream type is selected, simply click the ports on the flowsheet where you want to
connect the stream.
Tip: When placing blocks and streams, the mouse pointer changes to the crosshair shape,
indicating Insert Mode. After placing each block or stream, you remain in insert mode until you
click the cancel insert mode button in the upper left corner of the Model Palette or by right
clicking on the main flowsheet. You can also undock the Model Palette and use it as a floating
palette.
If you enter a number greater than zero, this value will be the operating or discharge pressure. If a
number less than or equal to zero, this value will be the pressure drop over the block.
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Tips and FAQ Revised: Nov 13, 2012
Guide you through the required and optional input for a run by displaying messages
Tell you what you need to do next
Ensure you do not make incomplete or inconsistent specifications, even when you
change options and specifications you have already entered
Blocks
Block IDs
Streams
Stream IDs
Stream connection locations
Columns
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Tips and FAQ Revised: Nov 13, 2012
Equipment Geometry
Vessel Geometry
Vessel Type:
-Instantaneous: Default vessel type for most vessels – requires no input for vessel geometry
-Vertical
-Horizontal
Vessel Geometry:
-Head type: Elliptical, Hemispherical, Flat
-Length
-Diameter
Dynamic Simulation
Types of Dynamic Simulations
Flow Driven:
-Feed flowrate and pressures are specified
-Flowrate is not controlled by pressure differences
-Useful for a first approach of the dynamic behavior of the process
-Good for liquid processes (usually good flow controllability)
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Tips and FAQ Revised: Nov 13, 2012
Pressure Driven:
-Feed and product pressures are specified
-Flowrate results from pressure difference
-A bit more complex to specify (because you need to balance the pressures in Aspen
Plus with valves, pumps, …) but more rigorous
Reactors
Copyright
Copyright © 2012 by Aspen Technology, Inc. (“AspenTech”). All rights reserved. This work may not be
reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of
AspenTech. ASPENTECH MAKES NO WARRANTY OR REPRESENTATION, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED,
WITH RESPECT TO THIS WORK and assumes no liability for any errors or omissions. In no event will
AspenTech be liable to you for damages, including any loss of profits, lost savin gs, or other incidental or
consequential damages arising out of the use of the information contained in, or the digital files
supplied with or for use with, this work. This work and its contents are provided for educational
purposes only.
AspenTech®, aspenONE®, and the Aspen leaf logo, are trademarks of Aspen Technology, Inc.. Brands
and product names mentioned in this documentation are trademarks or service marks of their
respective companies.
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